warmth
by AtLoLevad
Summary: A snowstorm in New York leaves Karen antsy and wanting to go someplace warm with Frank


Karen rested her chin in the palm of her hand and frowned as she watched the snow fall heavily. It had been snowing steadily for two hours now with no sign of slowing any time soon. She wrinkled her nose and sighed - the cabin fever was going to set in fairly soon and it wouldn't be pretty.

Frank looked up from his book and smirked a little at his girlfriend. She looked over, "I can feel you staring. Stop it."

"You sighed four times in the last minute," Frank said. "Jus' relax."

"I can't!" Karen moaned dramatically. She dropped her hands to rest flat on the table and leaned forward, "I'm going to be stuck in this wintery hell forever!"

"Didn't you grow up in Vermont?" Frank pointed out. Max lifted his head lazily and Frank scratched behind the dog's ears.

Karen frowned. "So? That doesn't have anything to do with my cabin fever now."

"There was definitely more snow up in Vermont than we're gettin' right now," Frank said reasonably. He gave Karen a look and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Not the point, Frank," she grumbled, getting up from the kitchen table and padding over to the couch. She nudged Max to the side and curled up against Frank's side. He draped an arm over her back, fingers grazing the waistband of her leggings.

"Enlighten me," he said, a laugh rumbling in his chest.

"The point," she said firmly, poking gently at his chest, "is that we weren't supposed to get this much snow and I couldn't mentally prepare for being snowed in."

Frank's hand drifted under the hem of Karen's shirt. He traced nonsense lines against her warm skin. "How do you mentally prepare for a snow day?"

"First," Karen ticked off her list on her fingers, "I pick up a very large bottle of wine. Second, I pick up a very large bag of chocolate. Third, I make sure I have all my research. Fourth, I gather all the warmest blankets."

"Where do Max and I fit into the equation?" he interrupted her. Max, hearing his name, lifted his head and whined. Karen reached out with a smile and scratched the pitbull on the top of his head.

"I guess you guys replace the blanket requirement," she said blithely, dissolving into shrieks of laughter as Frank dug his fingers into her side and tickled her. She squirmed against his side, kicking out her legs to try and stop him.

"Frank!" she squealed, laughing and pushing at his chest. He grinned.

"Think I'm more important than a blanket," he teased, slowly stopping his attack and wrapping her back up in his arms. Karen curled up against him, still catching her breath from the tickle attack.

"I guess," she conceded, dragging the word out on a laugh. "But really, can we go someplace warm?"

Frank raised an eyebrow and trained her gaze out the window, where the snow was accumulating quickly. His unasked question hung in the air and Karen huffed.

"It's not snowing in Jersey. Flights are taking off normally from Newark," she grinned slyly, sliding her hand up Frank's chest and cupping his jaw. Frank leaned his face into her touch.

"Last minute, isn't it?" he muttered, kissing her palm.

"I have a whole drawer full of bikinis that are dying to see the sun," she cajoled, sweetening her tone. She knew Frank and she knew that his resolve was wavering.

He hummed in appreciation and replied slowly, "Don't you got a job, Miss Page?"

Karen waved away that concern with ease. "Ellison's been begging me to take some vacation time, before he gets in trouble for working me to death."

"Huh," Frank muttered thoughtfully. Karen grinned up at him, widening her eyes a little bit and blinking innocently. She could feel his resolve crumbling and grinned even wider.

* * *

"Gotta say," Frank cut his eyes at Karen, "This wasn't a half bad idea."

Karen raised her sunglasses and turned her head in Frank's direction. She smiled, slow and lazy from the margaritas. "I'm chock-full of great ideas, Frank."

He snorted a laugh and ran a hand through his hair, dislodging a little bit of sand from the unruly curls. The sun felt good on his skin - warming him to his bones - and the sound of the waves gently crashing on the shore were a nice change of pace from the wailing sirens and other myriad noises of New York City.

"For example," Karen continued, sitting up on the lounge chair and licking a little margarita salt from the corner of her mouth, "the quick thinking at the check-in desk that got us upgraded to an all-inclusive suite."

The quick thinking, Frank rolled his eyes affectionately, was telling the young check-in girl that they had just eloped. Karen's eyes twinkled mischievously as the girl squealed excitedly and has done all she could to upgrade the "newlyweds." His heart had jumped to his throat when they were referred to as Mr and Mrs Castiglione, but the bright smile and cautious look in Karen's eyes had encouraged him to smile back and squeeze her hand - he didn't mind her fibbing.

"Speaking of," she leaned forward and nudged his bare arm, "we have a couples' massage in twenty minutes. Let's go get another drink before heading over."

She stood up slowly, a little unsteady, and held out a hand for Frank to take. He grasped it and gently tugged, pulling Karen onto his lap. She squeaked ungracefully as she landed, arms and legs akimbo. Frank's arms encircled her waist and he pressed a kiss to her bare, sun-warmed, freckled shoulder.

"I'm glad we're here, Kare," he mumbled sincerely. He rested his cheek against her shoulder and stroked his fingertips over her skin. His words were loaded with meaning.

"Me too, Frank," she whispered, tilting his chin up and kissing him soundly. "Me too."

* * *

 _A/N: Hi guys! Happy Punisher Season 2 week! I started this a bit ago and just finished it yesterday lol. I'm back at school for my last semester of law school (!) so the fics will be far and few between at this point, but I would love love love some reviews to start the day/semester off right :)_


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